Egg freezing- Is it effective and is it a "fertility insurance?"

Several years back the American Society for Reproductive Medicine declared that the freezing and storage of unfertilized eggs (oocyte cryopreservation) was no longer experimental. Reproductive science specialists have worked out the kinks and figured how to freeze, thaw, fertilize and grow these eggs, and from them get healthy live born children. The initial focus was to help women who wanted to have children, but were facing cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy or radiation) that might render them sterile. The data on pregnancy rates was very sparse but it in comparison to the alternative in these women, moving forward was a no brainer.

Now researchers in in Canada, have published on the outcomes in couples based on US data. The pregnancy rates range from 4-12 %, and that is in young women under 30. The rates are likely much lower in women in their 30s and 40s. While not great, it does offer some hope where there was none before. The problems is that now egg freezing is being used to delay childbearing in women for social reasons. With the announcement by google that they will pay for the procedure in their employees and the advent of "egg freezing parties," this is becoming more widespread.

As reproductive medicine specialists, we all want to offer our patients reproductive freedom, the ability to have children at a time that works out in their lives. Undoubtably, freezing and storing eggs for future use will enable some women to have children well into their 40's and early 50's. However, those who are unsuccessful with frozen eggs, and there will be many of them, will be left little choice other than using eggs from a donor, knowing that their biologic clock ran out while they had other priorities in life.

The problem is this: Is egg freezing an answer to a real problem? or is it giving women false hope? It may be a little of both. Only time will tell as the technology moves forward.